Michigan Deptartment of Natural Resources, State Agency: Winners must respond within 30 days of receiving notification or an alternate winner will be selected. within an inch or 2 of each other at 50 yards. I have found HS-6, Universal, and W231 powders work very well for standard loads, while IMR 4227 bulks up nicely in 45 Colt brass. All entries must be received by giveaway end date. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winners. We switch now from the use of PC (Powder Coated) bullets to cast bullets. What Happened to the Trail Boss Load Data? For the 45 Colt this is the Single Action Army revolver. * which is just a little over maximum Colt loads (but mild for Ruger) shot an average of 880.2 fps pointing up and 708.0 fps pointing down, but the spread between shots was 146 fps and 235 fps respectively. Most of the accompanying handloads are within industry overall length guidelines at 1.600 inches or less; however, a few loads exceed that length (including Hornadys FTX factory load). (II) Limit one (1) entry per household; multiple entries will disqualify entrants. Even with their short barrels, they still carry nine rounds in the tubular magazine. Cast bullets can be sized to .455 inch (assuming the mould casts bullets large enough), which again helps to reduce bullet tilting in the throat. Contest open to U.S. residents only. Guns with larger throats will usually produce improved accuracy when loaded with bullets that measure .454 to .456 inch. You can certainly use the Jacketed bullets fine, but dont look for incredible speeds. A bullet with a copper gas check or copper plating is best for INDOOR ranges to keep lead vapors out of the air. In spite of the above factory loads featuring the old Government bullet profile with a relatively small meplat, they are still effective. I use the same industry measurement as the .45 ACP .470 inch. Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, State Agency: Share to Facebook. USE THIS DATA WITH ALLIANT BRAND POWDERS ONLY. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: The accompanying standard- pressure handloads are within SAAMI guidelines of 14,000 psi, making them suitable for modern Colt SAA revolvers and all guns chambered in .45 Colt that are designed to fire smokeless powder ammunition. In actual weight, Pyrodex is lighter than black powder, being about 80 percent of the weight of black powder. Reference to Powder UP and Powder DOWN is to actually shake the gun in an up or down position before firing each round and gently bring the gun to the horizontal and shooting. Moving up to 22.0 grains increases the muzzle velocity to 1,300 fps and then 24.0 grains is right at 1,400 fps with both putting three shots in at 45 yards. ), RCBS #450255KT (258 gr. However, due to their heavier weights and increased barrel time, many fixed-sighted sixguns may group high. [See page on powder location in case affecting FPS elsewhere on pages] It was outfitted with adjustable sights, a 5.5-inch barrel, one-piece checkered walnut stocks and was timed precisely with an outstanding trigger pull. Because case capacity is large, trying to produce lighter loads with slow-burning powders can give very poor results. I have dozens of references from credible sources that state pre-World War II Colt revolvers feature a barrel groove diameter of .454 inch while postwar guns measure .451 to .452 inch. This prevents bullets from being sized down when seated into an overly tight case. .45 Colt Keith bullets: Lyman #454424 (264 gr. . However, Dick Casull started with the 45 Colt single action and the weak 45 Colt case to come up with his cartridge, which eventually became the 454 Casull. Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, State Agency: considered more the norm. I also have been having good luck lately with 10.0 grains of HS-6 and 250- to 260-grain bullets, which duplicates the performance of the early black powder loads. (II) Limit one (1) entry per household; multiple entries will disqualify entrants. If I had to shoot only one factory ammunition the rest of my life, I would. For developing the accompanying data, a 1970 vintage (second generation) Colt New Frontier SAA with 5.5-inch barrel was. Lyman now offers it as #452424, and it is a 255-grain bulletor thereabouts, depending upon the alloy used. When the Marlin and Winchester Trappers first arrived in the early '80s, the #1 45 Colt bullet was still Elmer Keith's #454424 weighing about 260 grains from my alloy. The vast majority of my 45 Colt handloads over the last 60 years, however, has been put together with cast bullets. There simply is not much that cannot be accomplished with the 45 Colt. With the coming of Rugers Blackhawk chambered in 45 Colt in the early 1970s, we finally had a sixgun that could tap the tremendous potential of the 45 Colt cartridge. The original loading was a bullet of approximately 255 grains with a muzzle velocity of somewhere around 850 to 900 fps. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, State Agency: For many decades reloaders have been arguing over whether or not H110 and W296 were identical. RNFP), 1007 MAX+ (Actual in 7 1/2 bbl 255 gr. Dropping down to 30 grains results in an easier-shooting 835 fps and a group of 1.13 inches. Heavy loads that are safe for use in the Ruger Redhawk would destroy a fine Colt SAA. Alliant Powder - Reloader's Guide Note that the Ruger New Vaquero uses a smaller frame and cylinder All entries must be received by giveaway end date. Generally, when revolvers with such grossly oversized throats are fired with modern cast and jacketed bullets accuracy is poor. Their max load is 6.2 grains for an approx 881 feet per second and a pressure of 13K cup. A quote from Lyman Reloading Handbook, 49th Edition states, The grooves of pre-World War II revolvers normally measure .454 in diameter. Lyman has a 255 grain .45 Colt gas-checked bullet, #454490GC, that was designed by Ray Thompson who also brought forth the .357 Magnum #358156GC and the .44 Magnum #431244GC. While there were multiple experiments with different cartridges, the .45 Colt was a joint development between Colts Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company and Union Metallic Cartridge Company. Bad Idea! REDUCE RIFLE AND HANDGUN CHARGE WEIGHTS BY 10% TO ESTABLISH A STARTING LOAD. It is impossible to go wrong with the 45 Colt. Stay tuned. All Freedom Arms cylinders are held to very tight tolerances and whether using 45 Colt or 454 Casull brass, I size with a special 454 die. As always there are occasional exceptions, including two guns manufactured in 1900 and 1902 that slugged .458 and .453 inch, respectively, but they seemed to be more out-of-spec than the normal. After all the work and expense, it turned out to be a somewhat mediocre performer. They are my choice for the heaviest loads especially with cast bullets weighing 300 grains and heavier. This same bullet can be loaded to much higher velocity in Rugers large-frame single- and double-action sixguns. The original .45 Colt bullet profile is known as a truncated cone or round nosed flat point (RNFP). Pet Loads and Handloader are registered trademarks of Wolfe Publishing Company. i even just recieved an awsome holster rig new,lined,scroll work, you name it , looks fantastic quality for only 40.00,,,got hooked up with this awsome lady on ebay,whos selling them for a friend who makes them. They include a (1) restored 1900 revolver with carved grips, (2) 1903 custom engraved, (3) 1901 with carved pearl grips, (4) 1899 with carved grips, (5) 1957-era custom, (6) custom 1901 with stag grips, (7) 1903 with custom carved grips and a (8) Colt New Frontier SAA with custom carved grips. Instead of being overly large, Rugers have been way too tight, with some measuring around 0.449 inch, but now Ruger is cutting all cylinder throats at 0.451 to 0.452 inch. models. Custom five-shooters built on the Ruger Blackhawk, the Ruger Redhawk, and the Freedom Arms Model 83 top the list. Pyrodex P is the equivalent of Triple-F or FFFg black powder. It is clear why the .45 Colt had such a stellar reputation as a man stopper and for its effectiveness on game. Incidentally, many jacketed bullet loads will produce higher velocities in revolvers with shorter barrels. With the Winchesters, equipped with receiver sights, most of my shooting is done around 30 to 35 yards with relatively mild loads. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winners. However, when using versions that weigh 250 grains, it is sometimes difficult to reach high enough velocities to achieve reliable expansion while staying within industry pressure guidelines. (II) Limit one (1) entry per household; multiple entries will disqualify entrants. LYMAN Reloading Products A trusted Brand since the 1800?s. Reloader 7 - 37.0 grains start, 39.0 grains max. Then something dramatic happened in 1869: Smith & Wesson brought forth the 44 American sixgun that used fixed ammunition. (NOTE: Sections marked Ruger Only are not for the New Model Blackhawk Flat-Tops or the New Vaquero!) Handgun Data - Speer Space constraints keep me from looking at all of these powders in depth, but I can cover a few. selected. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, State Agency: They do provide identical results of muzzle velocities and pressures using the same charge weights, and I use them interchangeably. Box 488, Escondido, CA 92033. Taurus Marketing Manager Caleb Giddings highlights the features of the new Taurus Raging Hunter 460 Magnum, a purpose-built revolver with a 10.5-inch barrel and an effective recoil-taming brake, with Guns & Ammo Executive Editor Joe Kurtenbach. No substitutions or transfers to third parties allowed. Be very careful using the loads for Ruger and T/C (Thompson Contender) as these are maximum loads, even for these strong guns. Bullseye, Unique and 2400 are products of Alliant (formerly Hercules) Powders. All Freedom Arms cylinders are held to very tight tolerances and whether using 45 Colt or 454 Casull brass, I size with a special 454 die. (II) Limit one (1) entry per household; multiple entries will disqualify entrants. These Smith & Wesson .45 Colts include a (1) Model 25-5 with 838-inch barrel, (2) Model 25-5 with 6-inch barrel, (3) Model 25-5 with 4-inch barrel and a (4) Model 625-6 Mountain Gun with a tapered 4-inch barrel. The individual accessing this site assumes the risk of safe loading practices. It served me well while riding the ranch on horseback, running a trap-line, hunting big game, varmints and pests, etc., and it even saved my skin a time or two. Not only do the Hodgdon folks offer excellent powders, but also they are simply some of the nicest folks in the industry. With my alloys this bullet runs around 280 to 285 grains while at the same time having a slightly shorter nose than the original Keith design so it fits in all Colt cylinders. About 1200+ fps in the 7.5 SBH, 1150fps out of the 4" Redhawk. The final level includes custom five-shot Rugers and the Freedom Arms Model 83. Addeddate 2019-02-27 13:08:05 Identifier LymanReloadingHandbook48thEdition2002Ocr_201902 Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t9093sd5t Ocr ABBYY FineReader 11.0 (Extended OCR) (See note on NEW Nitro 100 powder at bottom of page). The Complete Reloading Manual For The 45 Colt - Internet Archive West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, State Agency: The charge weight is 9.2 grains. I normally stay under 900 fps with a 250-grain bullet in Colt Single Action Army revolvers and its replicas. Unique is better. It shoots VERY well, the recoil is tolerable, and it cuts a clean hole in both targets and small game. Lyman has been an important name for shooters for well over 100 years. Energy in foot-pounds (ft-lbs) is not a good method to measure a straight-walled cartridges effectiveness, particularly when using nonexpanding bullets. For comparison the above .44 Magnum factory loads (which are admittedly conservative) have a TKO factor only slightly higher at 17.35. It is a good choice for self-defense, long-range shooting, hunting everything on four legs, and just plain fun shooting. Box 488, Escondido, CA 92033. Again, a groove diameter of .451 to .452 inch remains standard by all manufacturers. Wyoming Game & Fish Department, State Agency: The day of the percussion revolver would soon be over, and even Colt could see the future and began converting 1860 cap-and-ball sixguns to fire cartridges. Jeff Bradley shows off the Modern Hunting Rifle (MHR) from Christensen Arms at SHOT Show 2023. As I have gotten older and my hands have become more tender, I find myself moderating my everyday shooting loads. This revolver is fitted with a new line-bored cylinder that is tightly chambered with .452-inch throats, a .003-inch barrel/cylinder gap and the forcing cone cut to 11 degrees. Below you'll find some basic data for each cartridge to help get you started. No substitutions or transfers to third parties allowed. A Modern rifle should handle these loads equally as well, such as the Winchester Model 94. IMR Trail Boss, 4227, IMR 3031 and IMR 4895 are products of IMR (formerly DuPont) Powder Company. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (when required) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. In fact, an axiom with me is, When all else fails, try IMR 4227 before giving up. Years ago, after tiring of oversized 45 Colt chambers in Colt Single Action Army revolvers and New Frontiers, I started with a 357 Magnum New Frontier, had the cylinder rechambered properly and tightly to 45 Colt, and then had a new 4.75-inch Colt New Frontier barrel fitted. For example with the 4-5/8" Ruger Blackhawk, I use the NEI 310-grain Keith bullet over 21.0 grains of WW296 or H110 for 1,125 fps in the sixgun and 1,445 fps from the Trapper Barrel. Over the nearly 15 decades since its arrival, there have been many attempts to pronounce it dead. Lyman now offers it as #452424, and it is a 255-grain bulletor thereabouts, depending upon the alloy used. We are currently populating the cartridge drop-down menu with updated cartridge renderings, new propellants and bullets, and links to complimentary product pages. No substitutions or transfers to third parties allowed. In ranking the various 45 Colt sixguns now in production from the least strongest to that capable of a handling the heaviest loads, I would set the following order. This same bullet can be loaded to much higher velocity in Rugers large-frame single- and double-action sixguns. If cast soft enough they can also slug up to create a gas seal, which helps reduce fusion and barrel leading. In 1935 we entered the Magnum Sixgun Era with the arrival of the 357 Magnum; however, long before that we had the 45 Colt. A pair of Old Model Blackhawks with 4-5/8 and 4-3/4 barrels put five rounds in 1 at 20 yards while traveling at about 800 fps. The original Winchesters, whether chambered in .44 Rimfire or .44-40, all used cast bullets as jacketed bullets did not start appearing until the early part of the 20th century. Recommendations for 45lc 250 gr bullet using Unique Powder? The TaurusTX 22 Compact delivers class-leading reliability, capacity, and shootability in a 22 LR platform, and it's cut for a slide-mounted mini red dot. Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, State Agency: Originally loaded with 40 grs. Members 4.5k Gender:Male Location:Dolores, Colorado Interests:All types of shooting, hunting, fishing, camping. .45 Colt (180-200 grain bullets) .44 Mag (180-200 grain bullets) .38-40 (180 grain bullets) I had hangfires in the .45 Colt with less amount of Reddot. On paper, the 357 Magnum was the first cartridge to exceed the 45 Colts muzzle energy, but many knowledgeable sixgunners, Elmer Keith included, believed the 45 Colt actually offered more practical power than the First Magnum. Today, it remains one of our most popular sixgun cartridges. The same load in a Jim Stroh custom 5-1/2 Bisley has the same accuracy with more . No purchase necessary. The Lyman bullet 452651 GC will cast 20-1 at about 325 grains including gas check. I prefer to use 250-grain jacketed bullets in conjunction with +P loads, which is a subject for another day. All entries must be received by giveaway end date. North Dakota Game & Fish Department, State Agency: The Freedom Arms Model 97 also is in this group. These Lyman loads are conservative made for older guns. Cast RCBS 45-270-SAA bullets are generally loaded to an overall length of 1.650 inches to not over 1.655 inches, utilizing the full length of the Colt cylinder. Because case capacity is large, trying to produce lighter loads with slow-burning powders can give very poor results. The larger diameter ring that sizes the lower half of the case provides longer case life and eliminates the typical swaged bulge just ahead of the solid head. SAAMI pressures for STANDARD .45 Colt is 14,000 PSI MAXIMUM, but for Ruger Blackhawk and T/C, levels in the 20,000 to 25,000 range are considered more the norm. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if required) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. The Colt SAA .45 Colt with a 4.75-inch barrel ranks as one of Brians favorite handgun configurations. It didnt take long for manufacturers to offer heavier bullets, and two of the best came from NEI. Due to different barrel lengths, type of bullet, seating depth, primer type and other factors, you may not . Due to their reduced velocity combined with greater resistance in the bore, I dont recommend loads that produce less than 750 fps because there is a significant chance of sticking a bullet in the bore. On the other end are the Ruger Only loads. Make sure your gun can handle it before you use any of these loads listed below with STARS (*). For testing I go with three shots at 45 yards. But keep in mind, both Lyman and Alliant publish only standard pressure loads for the 45 Colt. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. The top of the can says NOT FOR HANDGUN LOADS. sure they will feed and chamber through levergun actions. The .45 Colt is rapidly approaching 150 years in existence, and it remains one of our finest, most useful, versatile and handloaded sixgun cartridges. All entries must be received by giveaway end date. A Redding Dual Ring Carbide sizing die was used to develop handload data. After a long days work on our remote cattle ranch, I would cast bullets and handload ammunition in the evening so that I could continue shooting the next day. His #452490GC was originally made for the 45 Auto Rim cartridge for use in the Smith & Wesson 1950 Target revolver, but I also use the Thompson design, which weighs around 255 grains, for heavy-duty loads approaching the energy of the 44 Magnum in the Ruger Blackhawk. Universal is an excellent powder for the 45 Colt with 8.0 grains under a 250-grain bullet duplicating the old black powder load. All Rights Reserved. No purchase necessary. The Lyman family of brands including Pachmayr, Mark 7 Reloading, TacStar, A-Zoom, Trius, Butch's, and Targ-Dots offers products to meet the needs of shooters and reloaders. When using a revolver with large throats, there are solutions to improve accuracy. Note that the "Ruger New Vaquero" uses a smaller frame and cylinder like original Colts. The 45 Colt brass was up to the task. The .45 Colt is a grand cartridge that has survived because it is so good. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. One problem inherent with the original #454424 was the fact that when sized to 0.451 to 0.452 inch, the crimping groove almost disappears. The older was slower Fast-burning in pistol calibers. The (top) Model 25-5 has .458-inch throats while the (bottom) Model 25-5 has .451-inch throats and is far more accurate. Illinois Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: Contest open to U.S. residents only. Share to Twitter. None of these loads will work through the action of my Rossi .45 Colt Model 92.